207
oriented social movements was the primary method of tackling national separatism
in the North Caucasus.
521
These reports and the Confederation’s increasingly anti-Russian stance
were the turning points for the creation of a succession of regional organizations
which would be favourably disposed towards Moscow and would provide a
counter-weight to the Confederation and other national front movements. In this
Moscow began to use mainly high ranking politicians and bureaucrats from the
region, like Sergey Shakhray
522
and Ramazan Abdulatipov.
523
Regional official
leaders were motivated to establish alternative regional pro-Russian organizations
aimed primarily at weakening the Confederation
Abdulatipov set up the first of these pro-Russian organizations, even before
the publication of these reports. In autumn 1991, he convened a congress of the
Assembly of Peoples of the Caucasus, which was intended to be a direct challenge
to the Confederation. This Association was based in Moscow with a heavy
representation of Moscow scholars and peoples from Dagestan. In 1992, this
Assembly began to publish a magazine in Russian in Moscow, Ekho Kavkaza
(Echo of the Caucasus) which gave concrete form to the idea of regional
integration. Nevertheless, the Association failed to become a credible
counterweight to the Confederation and, instead of drawing support away from the
commission. “Russia sets up commission to seek solutions to North Caucasian conflicts,” SWB
SU/1471, C1/2, 28 August 1992.
521
Fiona Hill quoted these reports, Russia’s Tinderbox, 37-38.
522
He, a Terek Cossack, was the Chairman of the Russian State Committee for Nationalities Policy
of the Russia and the Russian deputy premier with responsibility for ethnic affairs.
523
He, an Avar, was from Dagestan and the Chairman of the Soviet of Nationalities of the Supreme
Soviet of the Russian Federation.
208
Confederation it was one of the factors that galvanised it into action in 1991 and
1992.
524
The second major organization was established in January 1993 during a
regional round table meeting, organised by the Ministry for Nationalities and
Regional Policy, and the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Nationality
Policy, in Pyatigorsk and Kislovodsk, with the participation of the republics, of
various national or ethnic movements and groups in the region. Shakhray and
Abdullatipov took the lead during these meetings.
The meeting was the first initiative in the North Caucasus that attempted to
establish mechanisms for cooperation with the 93 representatives from 37 North
Caucasian parties, movements and even the regional branches of the Russian
political parties. This meeting ended with the adoption of a ‘Declaration on the
Principles of Inter-ethnic Relations in the North Caucasus’. The declaration
stressed that relations between the ethnic groups and nationalities in the region
were based on equal rights for all peoples and on respect for the territorial integrity
of the North Caucasian republics, krais and oblasts within the Russian Federation.
On the second day of the meeting in Kislovodsk, the leaders of legislative
and executive power in the region decided to create a North Caucasus Coordinating
Council made up of representatives of the executive and legislative power. This
body was to help unite the efforts of the republics and krais to maintain ethnic
accord in the region, prevent and settle inter-ethnic conflicts and other crisis
524
Fiona Hill, Russia’s Tinderbox, 39.
209
situations in the North Caucasus and also to strengthen the integrity of the Russian
Federation.
525
In line with Security Council’s Committee reports, the second major
organisation focused on the region. The North Caucasian Democratic Congress,
was established in Stavropol Krai with the participation of several anti-Dudayev
groups from Chechnya. This organization was heavily controlled by Sergey
Shakhray
526
and marking a break with the radicalism of Chechnya, a leader of the
Chechen opposition and former minister of the Soviet Union’s oil industry,
Salambek Khadzhiev was elected head of the Political Council of the Congress.
This Congress, as stated by Shakhray, was established to the preserve a
unified Russian state, Russia’s chief priority in the Caucasus, that was. Thus it was
intended to replace the Confederation and presented itself as the Confederation’s
democratic alternative. Therefore, in contrast to the Confederation, the Congress
professed common democratic priorities and registered with the Russian Federation
Ministry of Justice.
527
Another North Caucasian organisation, the Association of Democratic
Forces of the North Caucasus, was established in the beginning of April under the
auspices of Abdullatipov, and registered by the Russian Ministry of Justice.
525
“Meeting in Kislovodsk decides to set up North Caucasus Coordinating Council,” SWB SU/1589,
B/4, 18 January 1993. “North Caucasus Coordination Council set up,” SWB SU/1592, B/8, 21
January 1993.
526
“North Caucasus Democratic Congress to attempt to solve regional problems,” SWB SU/1608,
B/2, 9 February 1993.
527
“North Caucasus Democratic Congress on Program, Referendum,” FBIS-USR-93-025, 46, 5
March 1993.
Dostları ilə paylaş: |